Violin's Aria
by MidnightStriker
Summary: Pokemon Ranger: One year after victory of the Go-Rock Squad, Aria is sent to investigate a rumor of a comeback. Unfortunately, she is smitten by a certain violin player. Yuri warning, Aria/Tiffany.
1. Mission 1: Investigate the Rumors!

_**MidnightStriker: **__Hmmm..this is my 2__nd__ Pokémon Story after "Ice Queens". I just got the game of Pokémon Ranger, and so far I'm enjoying it. Aria's cold personality hit home, and it's very—yuri-worthy, haha! It's quite sad there's a deficit in Pokémon Ranger stories, in general and featuring Aria. Anyways, enjoy this story for every Pokémon Ranger yuri-lover out there! (and those who want to see Aria's pride stomped on evil grin)_

**Mission 1: Investigate the Rumors!**

Aria stretched to get out the kinks in her body. Being a Pokémon Ranger was still very exhausting, with or without the Go-Rock squad. It had been one year since their disbandment, and she was sure that they wouldn't return again. Well, for the most part.

Walking to Fall City's Ranger base for her next mission, Aria saw Joel with his morning coffee in one hand and the "Fiore Times" in the other. He had a worried look on his face, and Aria respectfully waited for him to address her.

Joel seemed preoccupied; it took him around 10 minutes to notice he had company. "Aria, welcome," he greeted, "Please, have a seat." Joel motioned.

Aria did as she was told, and asked, "Is something the matter, Joel?" "Well, since you are already at Ranger Rank 10," Joel said, running a hand through his blond hair, "I may as well have you investigate if what I read in the morning paper is true." "What is it?" Aria asked. "There was an article here reporting of several shady characters going in and out of Wintown," Joel said, "wearing white uniforms."

Aria put her hand to her mouth, "The Go-Rock grunts!" she exclaimed. "Precisely," Joel said, concern etching on his face. "I would like you to do a little investigating on their old hideout in Sekra Range." "At once, Joel," Aria nodded. "I'll be on my way."

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A young woman was checking out one of the numerous booths dotting Fall Town. "This is such a bummer!" she exclaimed, "I would enjoy my shopping experience more if one of my brothers were with me to carry my bags!" She shook her head in annoyance. Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a blonde ranger, obviously in a rush. _Well, father told us to stay away from rangers, but this one doesn't seem to be so dangerous…_ the young woman thought.

Selfishness and self-centeredness overruled her, and she grabbed the ranger's arm. "Hey!" she greeted. "Are you in a rush?"

Aria winced at the firm grip this stranger had on her arm. "You think?!" she snapped, "let go of me! I'm on a mission!" "Ooh…somebody's on a mission." Aria's captor taunted. "C'mon! How important is that mission compared to helping ladies like me?" "Bug off, sister." Aria said, turning her head around to look her captor. Aria observed her wild pale lavender hair, stylish coat and a form-hugging dress.

"I'm not a knight in shining armor." Aria continued, jerking her arm away, "Go find one which suits you." The young woman watched the blonde ranger storm off, still rubbing her arm. When the ranger was out of sight, her lips curled to a smile and she shook her head. "Father was right," she said, her lips curling to a smile, "rangers are so self-centered."

"Hey, Tiff! Billy sent me to pick you up." A voice called to the young woman. "Garrett!" she responded, walking towards her brother, "you came just in time." "Alright, where's your bags?" Garrett asked warily. The young woman, now identified as Tiffany, pointed at five large bags sitting in a corner.

"Wow—you did kill time. And possibly father's wallet." Garrett mumbled as he walked over to pick it up.

"Why didn't you bring any grunts then?" Tiffany asked, annoyed. "Well, with rumors of our comeback, I can't bring those idiots to town. We might get caught." Garrett replied. "Only those two from Ringtown, Lunick and Solana, know who we, the Go-Rock Quads, are. Last I've heard is that they're chilling in Summertown, so, there. It's moderately safe."

"Alright," Tiffany nodded. "So where are we headed to?" "Sekra range," Garrett responded, "Father said that there's plans of a comeback."

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Aria hurried on to Sekra Range, thinking little of the strange encounter she had with the young woman. What compelled her to take the Lapras to Summertown, and from Summertown take the Aquamole to Wintown? Why didn't she take the Dragonite Bus instead to save her the trouble of meeting that little Lavender-haired brat?

_Luck is cruel to me sometimes,_ she thought ruefully as she finally arrived at Wintown.

"Well, if it isn't Aria!" Elita said, greeting and embracing the newly arrived ranger.

"Elita," Aria said, returning the embrace, "It's so nice to see you again. It's been so long."

"I know," nodded the senior ranger. "Joel told me that you're off to investigate the Sekra range. Are you sure you don't need a companion?"

"No," Aria answered, "I'll do fine on my own."

"Alright, then," Elita said, "be careful!"

After drinking a nice, warm cup of coffee, Aria slowly made her way up to the foreboding Sekra range. Most of the wild Pokémon ignored her, and she was grateful for that. She didn't mind working alone either, but there was this strange sensation in the gut she felt brewing up.

Shaking off the feeling, she pressed on towards her destination. _Just as Leader Joel suspected,_ Aria thought, seeing Go-Rock grunts moving in and out of the abandoned hideout. _I'd better take several evidence photographs. _Taking out her camera, Aria began snapping photos. Unfortunately, she forgot to turn off the flash.

"Dude," one Go-Rock grunt whispered, "do you see those flashes?"

The grunt's companion nodded. "I think we're being spied on." He replied. "Take the right side of those bushes and check for an intruder. I'll take the left."

The two grunts circled the bushes and saw Aria, still oblivious to their presence. One of the grunts reached behind his pocket, grabbed a rag and soaked it with a sedative.

With one arm, he grasped his target around the neck and with his free hand; he forced the rag on Aria's nose. The sedative's toxic fume filled Aria's nostrils and everything went black.

_**End Notes: **__How'd you like it? Please tell me what you think! _


	2. Mission 2: The Deep, Dark Secret

_**MidnightStriker: **__Slight yuri action in this chapter! No flames, please! _

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or Pokémon Ranger**_

**Mission 2: Deep, Dark Secret**

Billy glanced up as the two Go-Rock grunts approached his desk dragging something…or someone…by the arms. "Whatcha got there, huh?" Billy asked. Being the eldest of the group, he was the second-in-command. Billy took over when his father, Gordor, was absent.

"We found a spy lurking around the Sekra Range, sir." One Grunt replied, "We believe she was sent by the Ranger Union."

"Those guys don't know when to quit." Billy mused as he rolled his eyes. "Well, just disarm her and tie her up to the boulder room. I'll see to her once I'm done with several other duties." He began rearranging papers, and the grunts took it as a signal to leave.

Knowing full well Billy's wrath, they quickly took Aria to the boulder room. The room lived up to its name, with nothing but a large rock wall with clamps where they chain up their prisoners. The grunts securely chained Aria spread-eagle on the boulder-wall and left, taking her styler with them.

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"Hey, Tiff," Billy said, not looking up from his paperwork, "You're back early today. Enjoyed shopping at Fall City?"

"It's cool," Tiffany said nonchalantly, sitting in front of her brother's desk. "It's just that—I'm bored, you know?"

"Bored? You? Once I know you're shopping you don't get bored." Billy stopped shuffling his papers. "I know there's something wrong. Tell me about it."

"You guys don't spend time with me anymore," Tiffany whined. "You're always preparing for our comeback. Why don't you take a break?"

Billy circled his desk and cupped his sister's cheeks. "Tiffany, as much as I want to spend time with you and the others, you know I can't. This is important to father's dreams. Once it's all up and about, I promise you we'll spend more time together as a band—and as a family."

Tiffany swatted his hands away. "That's what you always say," she huffed. "Father's dream is important to you? What about _our _dream as a band?"

Billy shrugged in defeat. "I don't know, but someday it will become a reality."

As Tiffany turned to leave, Billy called out, "By the way, there's a new prisoner in the boulder room. Perhaps you'd like to see? After all, I think we've met that person before. If you remember that girl with the slogan of 'Fall City's most Promising Ranger', you'll remember…"

"Aria?" Tiffany completed Billy's sentence, "Alright, then. I'll go check her out." Tiffany wasn't sure how Aria looked like, she only heard of her by word-of-mouth. Curiosity getting the better of her, she went to the boulder room.

Walking into the room, she gasped at what she saw. It was a familiar face, alright. In fact, it was the one she just saw earlier today. _It's the girl I saw at Fall City, _she mused, _it's payback time for being so mean to me. _Tiffany grinned, her sadistic side rearing its ugly head. And best of all, it seems like Aria was starting to wake up from her stupor.

"So," Tiffany said, approaching Aria with a sadistic smile, "seems like we meet again."

Aria's eyes were still hazy from the drug they used on her. But by squinting and focusing her eyes, she was able to make out that unmistakable lavender hair and fashionista coat. "You…" she hissed, "you're that girl from Fall city!" "I'm so glad you remember me," Tiffany said.

"My name is Tiffany…what's yours?" she purred.

"Aria…" the ranger spat out, not having much of a choice.

Aria frowned, anticipating a slap in the cheek, a spit in the eye, or a split lip. But she was totally unprepared for what the lavender-haired beauty did next.

Without warning, Tiffany thrust her hands under Aria's blouse, snaking over to her bra clasp. "I can tell you're enjoying this," Tiffany purred as she began to roughly touch Aria. "!!" The blonde ranger suddenly thrust forward.

Tiffany grinned. Freeing one of her hands, she used it to support her weight to prevent her from flopping on Aria. Tiffany shifted her weight to her left leg, and without warning, jammed her knee between Aria's legs. "!!" Aria's eyes opened wide, feeling both pain and pleasure at the same time. "Ungh!" the ranger groaned, determined not to give in. "I learned from Billy that you're the most promising ranger of your batch." Tiffany said, "Who knew you could have carried such a dark secret?"

"Enough…please…" Aria begged. Much to her dismay, Tiffany agreed, leaving Aria with dampness in her pants. "Alright," Tiffany grinned. "But let's see how long it will take you to say 'more'."

Tiffany turned to go, but before leaving, she had a few words more to say. "By the way, if you don't want the Ranger Union to learn about your 'forbidden desires', I suggest you follow my orders, hm?"

Aria's head dropped to her chest. It was by her stupidity that she was captured and humiliated like this, so what choice did she really have?

"Alright," she sighed, "I will follow you commands."

"Good. I look forward into breaking your high and mighty spirit." Tiffany grinned.

Tiffany exited the boulder room and ran into Billy. "Oh, hey, Tiff. So you took a look at Aria, huh?" he said.

"Yeah," Tiffany replied, "I'm sure it will be so much fun _interrogating _her. Thank the grunts for capturing her."

Billy watched his sister sail into her room. _What's gotten into her?_ He wondered. But he shrugged carelessly. Whatever could keep her occupied and happy in his and his brother's absence took a burden off his shoulders.

* * *

_**End notes:**__ Sorry for the long update! And thank you, __**littiot**__ for the first review and PM! It's really something when you get a PM asking for an update. Of course, reviews mean a lot too! I'll try to update faster than this. _


	3. Mission 3: Find the Missing Ranger!

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own Pokémon Ranger! _

**Mission 3: Find the Missing Ranger!**

Elita frowned, staring out the Wintown Ranger Base's window. Absentmindedly stirring her hot cocoa, she was wondered why Aria hasn't reported in three days.

_Three whole days, for Pete's sake, _Elita thought, _Aria wouldn't be silent that long, unless something wrong happens. But she's a strong ranger, so I'm sure nothing's happened to her…_

At that moment, "Silent Chris" walked in. Elita's assistant was aptly named so, because he says nothing unless it was urgent.

"Anything from Aria yet, Chris?" Elita asked worriedly.

"No. When I went to Sekra Range, all I didn't find any trace of her. Only this." Chris held up a plastic bag containing the rag used to gag Aria.

"Take it to the inspectors, they may be able to find out what it is." Elita said, "I'm going to check the hideout of the Go-Rock Squad."

"You can't do it alone!" Chris insisted, "let me accompany you, Elita!"

"Stay here and check on the findings," Elita's voice was firm, "I can do this."

Elita whistled for her Skarmory, and they flew off to Sekra Range.

As soon as she landed, a circle of Go-Rock grunts surrounded her. "Wha-what?!" Elita gasped, "how did you know I was landing?"

"Your Skarmory's shadow wasn't too hard to see," one female grunt commented, "seems like you're an inept ranger leader. Being cut off from the rest of society dulls your skills huh?"

Elita frowned, and her pride pushed common sense away. Her pride was at stake, and if she chickened out on these grunts, they could call her worse! Even though the odds were against her, well, it was worth a shot.

"Skarmory! Let's do this!" Elita commanded her partner Pokémon.

"You think you can take on all of us? It's a 10 to 1 ratio!" another grunt said, amused. "Well, the sooner we finish you off, the sooner we can go back to the hideout. I'm sure you could keep the other prisoner good company."

Elita's eyes widened at the mention of "other prisoner".

"What do you mean?" she demanded, "have you taken Aria?!"

"You'll know—if you can beat us, that is!" the grunts taunted.

Elita clenched her teeth and was determined even more to win this battle.

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Since it was still early morning, around 8:30, the Go-Rock Quads were still having their breakfast. And the hot topic of the morning was the new prisoner.

"So, did you see her?" Clyde asked Billy.

"Nope, not yet, As far as I know, it was only Tiffany who has made contact with our prisoner." Billy responded, taking a bite of his pancake. "How was she, Tiff?"

"Oh, she was just OK." Tiffany shrugged nonchalantly, "but she's kinda, hmmm…wild-spirited."

"I see," Billy nodded.

"What do you think we should do with her?" Garrett asked, "I mean, with father out and all, it may be better to eliminate her. After all, she _is _a spy."

"NO!!" Tiffany yelled, shooting out of chair. "I mean, no we cannot. Don't. What if we can extract valuable information off her? Like, from the Ranger Union? If we can break her spirit, maybe she'll say something."

_And she makes an interesting pet,_ Tiffany silently added. Of course, she wouldn't say it out loud to her brothers.

"If that's what you want," Billy said, "in fact, now that you mentioned it, you seem a bit…happier since she arrived."

Tiffany looked up, shocked. Could he have known about _them_?

But instead of finding hate, disgust or scorn, Billy had a soft glow in his eyes. "Maybe she can keep you company while we men do our thing. I know how hard this is going on you, and I'm glad you find something to keep you occupied."

_Ugh, at least he's giving me a shred of pity,_ Tiffany rolled her eyes. But she smiled back relieved, and nodded. "Thanks…big brother."

"If you don't want her to starve, go ahead and give her some table scraps." Clyde chuckled.

Tiffany glared at him. "You're just saying that 'cause you can't cook. Besides, how can you get her to open up to us if we give her scraps?"

"OK…don't get so touchy!" Clyde put up his hands in defeat, "if I knew any better, I'd think you like her!"

Tiffany stuck out her tongue at Clyde and began preparing new pancake batter.

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Elita wasn't having as much luck, the grunts may have pre-evolved Pokémon like a couple of Seedots and Nuzleafs, but the sheer number of them was wearing down her Skarmory, and her styler's battery as well.

Finally, she was beaten to her last bar. _Shoot, at this rate, I'll lose! _She thought, panicked.

"C'mon, give it up," a grunt said, "you know you're going down!"

"I'm not giving up!" Elita barked.

"It's your call."

Elita closed her eyes, and braced herself. But at that moment, a lithe figure leapt up to her defense. "Need a hand, miss?" figure asked, smiling at Elita with all her glimmering white teeth. "It seems to me that these grunts have nothing better to do but bother helpless trainers with those weird…uh…radars."

"Those are stylers!" Elita spat out, offended that she was branded as "helpless". "Well, anyway, I believe I need a hand."

"It would be my pleasure." The person smiled, "by the way, my name is Glacia."

Elita nodded, and Glacia produced a weird object from her satchel.

"Alright, thugs! Face me, Glacia of the Elite Four!" Glacia said, throwing the ball-shaped device into the air. "Glaceon, I choose you!"

"Glaceon!" chirped, ready for action.

"Knock out those Seedots and Nuzleafs with Blizzard!" Glacia ordered. "Glaceon!" the Pokémon summoned the elements to its side, and soon, the grunts ran away, leaving their Pokémon.

"Hey! Why didn't you recall your Pokémon?!" Glacia called.

"You're crazy! How can you treat Pokémon like a slave? Pokémon here in Fiore belong to no one! They all belong to the wild!" Elita exclaimed.

"'Like a slave'? Excuse me, miss, but I think I just saved your life. Besides, I don't treat Glaceon like a slave." Glacia responded. "We capture them all the time."

"Where are you from, you sadistic woman?!" Elita yelled, "Are you a spy from the Go-Rock Squad?"

"Ungrateful wretch, I came from Hoenn. I was hoping to enjoy a nice vacation and not run into an ungrateful local like you. Haven't you heard about Pokémon training?"

"Or more like enslaving. No one captures Pokémon here for personal ownership! We rangers only use them for assistance." Elita explained.

"I see. Well, sorry for you." Glacia shrugged. "In Hoenn, Johto, Kanto, and Sinnoh, we all capture Pokémon for training."

As Glacia was about to walk away, Elita ran over to her. "Listen, I'm really sorry for blowing off steam at you. I really appreciate you for helping me when you did. It's just that…one of our Rangers was captured, and I need all the help I can get, especially from someone of your caliber."

"Now that's what I like to hear," Glacia smiled. "OK, I'll help. It's not like I have anything to do, anyway."

"So, Glacia," Elita said as they walked towards the Go-Rock headquarters, "What do you call those things which you use to capture Pokémon?"

"Oh, it's called a PokéBall." Glacia responded. "I think, though, if you use one here, it may upset the balance of nature, yes?"

"I'm glad you understand," Elita said, "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't use it on wild Pokémon while in the region."

"No problem." Glacia nodded, "the Hoenn region is teeming with wild Pokémon, anyway."

Unknown to both women, a grunt overheard their conversation. "A device what can capture Pokémon better than a styler? Boss Gordor must learn about this!"

* * *

_**End Notes:**__ Well, here's another update! Not much to comment, haha! Thank you to __**littiot**__ for faithfully reviewing! And, of course, to the readers and hopefully, future reviewers! 'til next time, yo! (",)_


	4. Mission 4: Love Your Enemy

_**MidnightStriker:**__ Eh my starz, I haven't been updating as often as I'd like to. No excuses, though! I'll still try to churn out more chapters to keep readers occupied!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon Ranger!_

**Mission 4: Love Your Enemy**

There was no light in the boulder room, and for that Aria was thankful. Tears were stinging her eyes, and being the proud ranger she was, refused to let anyone see her cry. Each tear which dropped to the floor took away what little pride she had left. Aria didn't think that she, of all rangers, would be humiliated like this. What did she do to deserve this? If only she could rewind time and never have accepted Joel's mission! This wasn't worth a new ranger rank!

Aria kept her head down even at the sound of approaching footsteps. Most likely, it would be one of the Go-Rock grunts. And Aria didn't even care anymore what would happen to her; this was too much.

Tiffany pushed the door open with her shoulder, and gave a half-smile to her prisoner. "Good Morning," she said. "Look, I brought some breakfast!" Tiffany tried to entice Aria, who still kept her gaze to the floor.

"Come on, smile! It's a beautiful day." Tiffany said, setting the tray on a nearby table and walked over to Aria.

"Easy for you to say if you haven't been in my shoes." Aria snapped.

Tiffany moved closer to Aria. "I didn't mean it that way," she murmured, stroking Aria's golden hair. "Don't touch me." Aria demanded. "I won't be your toy!"

"Remember what I said about the Ranger Union," Tiffany reminded the fiery blonde.

"I don't care anymore. I'd rather die right now than take any more of this." Aria replied, her breathing becoming heavier by the moment. She wouldn't give her captor the satisfaction of seeing her cry. But that was not to be, since Tiffany cupped her hands on Aria's face.

"You've been…crying." Tiffany stated softly, rummaging around the fold of her dress for a handkerchief. Finally locating it, she began gently wiped the wet streaks off Aria's face. _What am I doing? _She suddenly thought as she stared into Aria's closed eyes, _Why am I caring so much about a prisoner? _

"Stop it," Aria said, her eyes still closed.

"Your tone of voice betrays you," Tiffany replied, stepping back and unclasping Aria's wrist shackles and her right ankle shackle. "Listen, you need to eat. I'd rather not see you die here." Weak from hunger and fatigue, Aria limply fell into Tiffany's arms.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Aria whispered.

"I…don't know myself." Tiffany answered. She helped Aria into a sitting position and brought the tray of food closer to her.

Aria looked at her gratefully, and caring little if there was poison or not, she began eating. "Your cooking is delicious," she commented. "Thanks," Tiffany smiled, sitting beside Aria. "I'm glad someone appreciates my culinary skills."

"Who wouldn't? It's really good." Aria said, her mood brightening a little. Perhaps Tiffany wasn't as bad as she thought.

"My brothers always think that because I'm the only girl, I'm the weakest at everything." Tiffany picked up a rock fragment and turned it over in her hands as she spoke. "They always send me first to stall a ranger who's about to ruin their plans, knowing that even if I'd lose, at least I'd buy them time."

"Without you, they'd starve." Aria wiped her mouth with a napkin.

Tiffany grinned at the compliment, but suddenly turned serious and asked, "Are all rangers like that?"

"Like what?"

"You know…always intent on getting their way?"

"It's not like we're the only ones," Aria replied softly. "Everyone wants to get their way to stand up for what they believe in."

"But how do you know what is right? How do you know what to fight for?" Tiffany pressed.

"I…I guess if you can sleep soundly at night, satisfied with your cause." Aria said, sounding a bit unsure as she was never asked a question as deep as this.

Tiffany let out a sigh. "Can you sleep well at night?"

"Yes, I can." Aria affirmed. "Well, I can't." Tiffany sighed again. "It seems like all this shenanigans my family is whipping up is pure nonsense."

"You and me both," Aria muttered, but suddenly regretted saying that as Tiffany glanced at her. "What I mean is, why cause all this senseless pain? Why are they trying to disrupt the peace we cam both benefit from?"

"That's true," Tiffany nodded. They both fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, Tiffany spoke again. "I admire your sense of justice, Aria."

"Thank you?" Aria said, quite unsure how to respond.

"I have to show my family that what they're doing is wrong. Your path is right, and we're wrong." Tiffany stated.

"Well, how do you plan to do that?" Aria asked again.

Tiffany leaned closer to Aria. "Starting with you, Aria." she said, kissing her on the lips.

Aria didn't fight back, this time she simply received Tiffany's kiss. When they broke off for air, Aria smiled at Tiffany. "Take the lead," she said.

"With pleasure," the lavender-haired beauty responded.

Tiffany moved her hands to Aria's jacket and began unbuttoning it. She also undid the ranger's slacks and pushed the filthy garments down. Once out of the way, Tiffany's right hand began stroking Aria's hair and her left began going south. Aria lay down on the floor with Tiffany and top, and soon, Tiffany's coat came off as well. Moving in fluid unison, both females relished in their newfound relation.

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Tiffany opened her eyes and smiled as she panted heavily. She moved a golden lock of hair out of the way, and Aria's violet orbs looked back at her.

"You haven't answered my earlier question," Aria said, "yet I have answered most of yours."

"I quite forgot what you asked," Tiffany asked sheepishly. "But I'll try to answer it to the best of my knowledge."

"I asked you, 'why are you being so nice to me'?"

"Well, I guess the answer now is because," Tiffany draped an arm over Aria's bare form, "I love you." After sharing another kiss, she sat up and began to dress. "Leaving already?" Aria asked, disappointed.

"I'm sorry, Aria. But if I stay longer, my brothers will start to get suspicious." Tiffany apologized. "I'll see you again this evening, with some dinner. So try to be patient until then OK?"

Aria dressed as decently as she could and allowed Tiffany to chain her back. But a little feeling of doubt was gnawing at the back of her mind.

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Clyde stared out the window, viewing another day ending in Fiore.

"I'm really worried about that prisoner. She could be a spy for all we know." Clyde said, pacing about his room. He had called over Garrett, and he found out that he also shared the same concerns. "I don't understand why we need any information on the Ranger Union, anyway," Garrett commented. "Our spies have gathered enough information."

"Why would Tiffany want to keep her, I wonder…" Clyde mused.

"Why don't you ask her?" Garrett countered, tilting his head towards the half-open door. "She just walked by."

Clyde quickly rushed to the door and hollered to their youngest sister.

"TIFFANY!!" he yelled. "EEEP!" she almost dropped the tray of food she was carrying. "Don't yell like that, Clyde! It's rude!"

"Well, sorry," Clyde muttered. "Anyway, where are you going?"

"To…my room." Tiffany quickly lied.

"With another helping of dinner? No wonder you get so fat!" Clyde teased. He was immediately rewarded with a kick.

"Leave me alone, big brother," Tiffany growled, disappearing around the corner.

"Touchy," Garrett commented as Clyde returned, rubbing his shin. "Maybe she's having her swingy female moods."

"Anyway, I've got a better plan than disposing of that ranger," Garrett continued as Clyde searched for ice. "Oh yeah? It better be good." Clyde growled.

"How about we auction her to be one of the lesser grunts' woman? Wouldn't that be a hoot! The highest bidder gets to keep her, and we get money. I'm sure Billy would agree with us on that!" Garrett grinned. Clyde perked up. "Yeah! That would be great! I needed money for a new bongo, mine recently broke down…"


	5. Mission 5: Play the Game!

**Same disclaimer...I don't own Pokemon Ranger or any of these characters :**

**Mission 5: Play the Game!**

"Billy, I need to speak to you." Garrett said, entering the room of the eldest Go-Rock Quad brother. "Didn't anyone teach you to knock?" Billy asked, quite annoyed at being interrupted. Garrett ignored his brother's question. "But it's important! It's about that ranger spy. I think I have an idea on how to rid ourselves of her."

"You'd better do it in a way that wouldn't aggravate Tiffany," Billy sighed, unceasing in writing down memos, to-do lists, and checks. "You know she wouldn't give up on that spy too easily." "Why? 'Cause she's a queer?" Garrett smirked.

Billy stopped writing and glared at him. "I won't allow you to speak about our sister that way, Garrett. She's still our only sister, and you don't have solid evidence that she is, well, what you say she is." "Sorry," Garrett shrugged. "Well, anyway, she'll be happy to know that this'll bring us money for her shopping sprees. Plus cut back a few of the grunts' salaries."

Garrett's plan was met with a quirked eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, slightly interested in this money-making scheme.

Garrett grinned. "I was thinking—why don't we auction her to the grunts? The highest bidder will be take her home, and, well, do anything they want with her. You know we have a shortage of female grunts here. And the best part is that no blood is going to be in our hands."

"That's a good idea," Billy agreed, "and just where do you plan to showcase this auction?"

"I was thinking Fall City," Garrett replied, stroking his chin, "we can dress in casual wear, and several onlookers and those interested tourists may even join the bidding. A lot of rich people go to Fall City, you know."

"Right. I'll get us some grunts to set this up." Billy said, pushing a button on his intercom.

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Two grunts bowed their heads as they stood in front of Billy. "You called for us, sir?" "I have set up a stage in Fall City. Take our prisoner there, and dress in casual clothes. We're going to auction her off. And the highest bidder..." Billy lifted his chin and smirked, "gets to keep her." The two grunts looked at each other in surprise. "Seriously, sir?" one said, barely containing his excitement. "We can keep her?" the other one echoed, making sure he heard it correctly.

"Depends on how long you guys can go without your paychecks." Billy answered smugly.

"I can live with that, if it means having a woman." One grunt answered dreamily. "Yeah, you were always hopeless." His partner answered. "Why I oughtta—"

"Enough!" Billy commanded, "Do what I say. You can fight for this prize in Fall City, and be sure to wear your disguises!"

"Sir yes sir!" they answered in unison.

As they walked down the hall, one grunt said, "Man, I can't wait to do her." "Maybe we should share if one of us wins." His partner suggested.

"Not a chance."

"You'll regret that if _I _win."

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"Hey," a rough voice said, "hey! Wake up!"

The hand doubleslapped the Blonde Ranger on both cheeks.

This certainly wasn't Tiffany—her new lover told her that she would be away for the day, off to who knows where.

"Ow…stop that!" Aria demanded. Having a secret (albeit quite questionable) defender with one of the Go-Rock Quads can have its perks. "We have orders to take you to Fall Town." a grunt answered. "Under whose orders?" Aria asked suspiciously. "Billy." The grunt answered abruptly. "I…don't understand." Aria said, "have they talked this over with everyone?"

"What do you mean?" the grunt sneered, "they are all of one mind. 'All for one and one for all'—that's their motto."

Aria's eyes widened in shock. What a fool she was to have believed Tiffany and all she said to her! After just a few nights, she already let her guard down to enjoy Tiffany's favors! "Start walking!" the grunt ordered, and Aria meekly obeyed. What else could she do? "Why are we going to Fall Town?" she asked the grunt.

He turned to look at her—and not just her eyes, Aria noted, but over her whole body. "Well?" she asked again, using whatever toughness she had left. "You'll see." He grinned, leading her outside to the Go-Rock Quad's headquarters. Two female grunts were waiting outside what seemed to be a shower room. "You received Billy's orders?" the male grunt asked them. They nodded, and he let go of Aria. "I'll leave her to your care, then. Make her nice!" he smirked.

Aria was really puzzled. What did he mean by that? Perhaps this was Tiffany's doing?

"Go inside," one female grunt motioned to the cubicle with one hand. "And bathe." Bathe! It was so long since she had one. And considering how…"active" her nights with Tiffany had been, dirt, sweat and other things have stuck to her skin like glue. How Tiffany wasn't repulsed was beyond Aria…

The grunt handed her a bar of soap and a towel. "When you're finished," she ordered, "just step outside. We'll lead you to a changing room." Aria nodded and stepped inside the shower stall, and nothing separated her from the two grunts outside the cubicle other than a thin shower curtain. As she was scrubbing herself, Aria overheard the two grunts conversing outside.

"It's too bad we can't participate in this," One sighed wistfully.

Two snorted. "What, are you a queer too? Like that Tiffany?"

"Well, it's only rumors, you know." One spat out, "And no, I'm not queer. I'm just saying that the other grunts should've captured a male ranger or something so it's fair game."

"Well, it's not up to us." Two shrugged. "Maybe you're just saying that 'cause you're hopeless. Not like me, I've got a boyfriend."

_Participate in WHAT? _Aria thought, annoyed. What is this mysterious game she's been asked to take part in? _Might as well hurry up and see the surprise, _she thought sarcastically. She turned off the shower, letting the last cold drips of water run down her hair, chest, and legs. The cold water made her shiver, and she wrapped the towel sari-style around herself tightly.

"Oh, you're finished?" Two asked languidly, "Alright, I'll take you to the dressing room." "I would prefer my uniform, please." Aria said politely. "Those ragged things? Oh, we took the liberty to throw them away." Two answered. "What! Why?!" Aria yelled.

"I think your anger will dissipate if you see what you're going to be wearing." Two spread out a simple, yet beautiful white gown. "Slip into this and these pair of sandals. Sir Clyde took them from Tiffany's closet. She has so many things, she won't notice a few losses."

_We're even the same shoe size, _Aria thought, noting the perfect fit of the gown and sandals. "And don't dilly-dally," Two warned, "we have to take you to Fall City in five minutes_." And so it shall be that I face my destiny, _Aria mused as the handcuffs were replaced on her fair wrists.

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"Finally!"

The same male grunt who woke her up (how can she tell, anyway?) was the one who greeted One, Two and Aria. "I was beginning to think that you guys would never make it."

"Shut up," One said, "here, take her." She relinquished the chains into the male grunt's hands. "And I hope you don't win." Two added. "We'll see about that." The grunt grumbled.

"Ladies and genteelmen!"_ Clyde was a terrible emcee, _Aria thought. Even with his poor disguise and fake accent, she could totally tell it was him. _I think I've been around them too long, _she thought. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Garrett and Billy readying something, but Tiffany was nowhere in sight. "Where is she…" Aria muttered. Before she could search some more, she heard Clyde said, "And heeeeere's what we're auctioning!"

Two grunts yanked her up onstage and she saw a sea of faces—mostly males. With horror, she now realized what they were up to all along. _Tiffany used me! _She thought as Clyde yelled, "Let the bidding begin!!!" _She thought she could have her pleasure with me…_

"TWO MONTHS worth of my paycheck!"

_In the end she'll just auction me…_

"SIX MONTHS!"

_Why did I believe her lies and seduction…_

"ONE YEAR!!"

…_how could I have been so blind?!_

"5 MILLION Pokédollars!"

Everyone turned to the last bidder, whose bid was higher than a 1 year-eight month paycheck combined. Even the Go-Rock Quads seemed shocked. "Who…who is that?" Garrett rasped from backstage. "I can't see that far!" Clyde hissed back.

"Should we call it quits?" Garrett asked Billy, "you heard the last bidder. That's an awful lot of money." Billy nodded. "Yeah, I think that settles it."

"SOLD! To the bidder who offers 5 million Pokédollars! Please come forward and claim your prize." Clyde grinned. His palms were itching to touch the money.

But when the bidder stepped up, it wasn't at all whom the Go-Rock Quads expected…

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_**Midnight**__: Yeah, school chokes me up. But hey, at least it's updating, right? Who can this mysterious bidder be? Will Aria finally see the light of liberty? And where in the world is Elita and her posse? _

_Many thanks to __**littiot**__ and __**rangergirl23**__ for reviewing! Until the next chapter…_


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